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Exclusive: Tottenham block last-gasp forward exit
Tottenham have blocked the late-window exit of winger Jack Clarke, Football Insider has learned.
The forward has yet to play for the Londoners since signing from Leeds United in the summer of 2019 for a fee rising to £13m.
A Tottenham source has told Football Insider that Clarke has been the subject of interest from Championship clubs keen to take him on a season-long loan.
Birmingham City were most strongly linked with a temporary deal for the 19-year-old.
But Spurs have refused to let Clarke go, partly due to fears about his potential playing time and also because they want him to learn his trade at his parent club.
Jose Mourinho and his staff believe the youngster is better off playing for their Under-23s and working towards a first-team breakthrough.
He can also benefit from watching and learning from global wide forward stars like Gareth Bale and Son Heung-Min as well as Lucas Moura and Steven Bergwijn.
Clarke has struggled for game time since shooting to prominence at Leeds two seasons ago.
That was enough to earn him a blockbuster transfer to Tottenham before he was initially loaned back to Leeds.
Clarke barely played in the first half of last season as Marcelo Bielsa’s side romped to promotion.
It was then the same story at QPR, where he spent the second half of last season on loan.
The youngster has made two appearances for Tottenham Under-23s in Premier League 2 this season, scoring once.
In other news, Tottenham are braced for up to FIVE senior star exits on deadline day.